Porter c



(No Mode1.)

- P.- 0-. HAYES. v 'THILL COUPLING.

I No. 569,131, -Pate nted 0011.6, 1896;

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UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

PORTER O. HAYES, OF BURGH HILL, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL W. SIGLER, OF SAME PLACE.

THILL-COUPL-ING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,131, dated October 6, 1896.

Application filed anuary 4, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PORTER G. HAYES, of Burgh Hill, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in thill-couplings and antirattlers.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved form of spring serving the double purpose of preventing rattling of the thill-iron and holding the pivot-bolt in place without the use of a nut thereon.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side views. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4: is aview of the spring.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the clip, of ordinary construction, from which extend cars a, said ears being provided with coincident holes, through which and a corresponding hole in the thill-iron B is passed a pivot-bolt b. The head I) of this pivot-bolt is provided with a transverse groove 5 while the other end, b of said bolt is of tapered or conical form. It is not threaded, as one of the objects of the invention is to dispense with the use of a binding-nut.

O designates a spring designed to serve the combined ofiice of preventing rattling of the thill-iron and holding the pivot-bolt in place. This spring comprises a central bowed portion d, which normally bears tightly against the pivot end of the thill-iron, extending at its lower end to form two coils cl 01 From the coil d the wire d of which the spring is composed, is elongated or extended upwardly between the ears or and bent down over one Serial No. 574,839. (No model.)

of said ears and then curved forwardly, as at d so as to bind against the conical end of the bolt. The tension of this bent end of the spring aids in holding the bolt in place. From the coil d the wire is likewise extended upwardly between the ears a and then bent outwardly and wound to form a third coil d from which the wire is extended downwardly to form a perpendicular arm d", which fits snugly in the groove of the bolt-head. In this way the bolt is firmly held in place as against rattling or loosening, the spring engaging said bolt at both ends. The coil (1 is of sufficient tension to hold the arm d in the grooved head. Thus it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple form of spring serving the combined purpose of an antirattler and bolt-holder. The two lower coils give to the central portion of the spring sufficient elasticity to prevent rattling of the thill-iron, while the third or upper coil serves to bind the downwardly extending arm against the bolt-head.

I claim as my invention- The combination with the clip having parallel ears, the thill-iron, and the bolt having its head provided with a transverse groove,

of the spring having a curved or bowed portion located between said ears, two lower coils, and upward extension passed over one of said ears and having a, bent or curved end bearing against the periphery of one end of said bolt, said spring at its other end being extended upwardly and twisted to form a third coil from which extends a downwardlyprojecting arm designed to fit in the groove of said bolt-head, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PORTER G. HAYES. Witnesses:

E. B. TAYLOR, GEO. W. UPToN. 

